Hubble image archive
Galactic Center Region in Near-Infrared from Hubble
Although best known for its visible-light images, the Hubble Space Telescope also observes over a limited range of infrared light. The galactic center is marked by the bright patch in the lower right. Along the left side are large arcs of warm gas that have been heated by cluster...
- Date
- Jan 1, 2009
- Mission
- Hubble Space Telescope
- Archive ID
- hubblesite-images-2009-28-2631-image
Although best known for its visible-light images, the Hubble Space Telescope also observes over a limited range of infrared light. The galactic center is marked by the bright patch in the lower right. Along the left side are large arcs of warm gas that have been heated by clusters of bright massive stars. In addition, Hubble uncovered many more massive stars across the region. Winds and radiation from these stars create the complex structures seen in the gas throughout the image. This sweeping panorama is the sharpest infrared picture ever made of the galactic center region.
Credits
NASA, ESA, Q.D. Wang (University of Massachusetts, Amherst), and STScIImage Details
| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | Galactic Center |
| Object Description | Center of the Milky Way Galaxy |
| R.A. Position | 17h 45m 36.0s |
| Dec. Position | -28° 55' 58.8" |
| Constellation | Sagittarius |
| Distance | 26,000 light-years (8 kiloparsecs) |
| Dimensions | The image of the galactic center is 32.5 arcminutes (246 light-years or 75.5 parsecs) wide. |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description | The Hubble component was from the HST proposal : Q.D. Wang (University of Massachusetts, Amherst), S. Stolovy (Caltech), C. Lang (University of Iowa), A. Cotera (SETI Institute), M. Muno (Caltech), M. Morris (University of California, Los Angeles), D. Calzetti (University of Massachusetts, Amherst), S. Ramirez (Caltech), and G. Schneider (University of Arizona). |
| Instrument | HST>NICMOS |
| Exposure Dates | February 22 - June 5, 2008 |
| Filters | F187N (Paschen-Alpha) and F190N (Paschen-Alpha continuum) |
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Source
Image and source material are credited to the official mission archive linked below.
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